Heather Watson in action during the first round of the Australian Open in Melbourne. Photograph: Jason O'Brien/Action Images

Those slavering for a fight of glorious proportions were listening intently to the running commentary on the festering row between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. When they got down to business, however, Heather Watson had eyes only for Victoria Azarenka on the other side of the net in the Rod Laver Arena in the opening to the 2012 Australian Open and was detained a mere hour and seven minutes as the world No3 swept her away 6-1, 6-0.

It was the most disheartening start to the tournament for a player who prides herself on her combative instincts and ability to extend even the best players in the game.

She has memories, still, of her rousing match against Maria Sharapova in the US Open last year to sustain her – but that counted for little as Azarenka began quietly and finished in a blur.

There were a few extended rallies but Watson could find no rhythm in the face of such quality.

Meanwhile, James Ward was quick to follow Watson out of the tournament after losing his first-round match against Blaz Kavcic.

Ward, who came through qualifying to play in the main draw of an overseas slam for the first time, was broken six times en route to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 defeat at the hands of the Slovenian ranked 103rd in the world.

Elena Baltacha continued the tale of misery when she lost to the lower-ranked Frenchwoman Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-2, 6-4.

The Scot paid for an awful start on court 11 when she fell 4-0 behind and was unable to haul it back. She at least found her range in the second set, trading blows with Foretz Gacon, who at 107 in the world is 53 places lower than Baltacha, but lost her nerve when serving at 4-4. Foretz Gacon squandered six break points but broke through on the seventh and duly served it out to advance in one hour and 30 minutes.

Federer, meanwhile, was expected to make his first meaningful statement here off the sweet centre of his racket in the first round against Alexander Kudryavtsev, under lights in front of his adoring public in Rod Laver Arena. His back injury has calmed and there are many good judges who reckon he can win his first grand slam title since he beat Andy Murray here two years ago.

However, such is mounting tension in his now open conflict with the one man to have consistently challenged his supremacy in the game over the past decade that a crafted rebuttal in front of a microphone could be Federer's first significant impact on the tournament.